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UNMARRIED MOTHERS WERE TOLD THAT THEY DID NOT QUALIFY FOR STATE BENEFITS
It was a lie.
From 1948, an unmarried mother was entitled to state benefits to enable her to keep her baby.
She qualified for the same national assistance benefits as a widowed mother on the grounds that she was "a person in need due to the care of young children and not in employment".
| July 1948 | Sept 1959 | April 1961 | July 1963 | July 1969 | |
| Unmarried Mothers | £1 4s 0d | £2 10s 0d | £2 13s 6d | £2 17s 6d | £4 11s 0d |
| Baby | 7s 6d | 16s 0d | 17s 0d | 18s 0d | £1 7s 0d |
An unmarried mother, under 16 years old, and her baby were entitled to be placed with foster parents until she was eligible for full State Benefits.
Copyright © Patricia Basquill, 2002 - 2008